


22-20-22

by orphan_account



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Angst, Collage, Established Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Making Out, Polyamory, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-03 15:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12750960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “Uh, I’m Josh.”“Basketball boy?” She asked, the makeup still smeared on her face.Josh took it to mean Tyler had been talking about him. “Yeah, that’s me.”Tyler butted in, tone giddy as he introduced the two. “This is Jenna, my girlfriend. She’s cool. Jenna, this is Josh. My friend. He’s cool too.”





	1. Game Start

The repetitive thump of the ball hitting wood sounded out through the air, Josh being the main cause of it and the squeaking of shoes against waxed floors. It was a familiar sound, the sharp noises in the large room had over time found some kind of comfort in him.

The sounds resonated more with him when he wasn't the only one on the court but he couldn't complain. Technically, he wasn't even meant to be on the polished wood after practice.

But the boys had stopped questioning Josh's dawdling and the coach had excused it so Josh carried on, doing a lay-up and failing.

His shoes slapped against the ground as he landed, the sound almost matching up with the bang of the changing room door.

Like drunk ants, the boys began to leave the room, in a line but out of time. As soon as five thirty hit, life became a routine for a nice ten minutes. Josh would stay back and practice as the rest of the ‘team’ went to shower and change in the rundown dressing room of the local community college basketball gym. And then they would leave, not long after, one by one in an unplanned marching line.

Some would say bye and wave Josh off, but besides that most interaction died off the court. Which Josh was fine with.

“Dun.”

“Joseph,” Josh replied to the man running up to him, word catching a bit in his dry, dehydrated throat. “What's up?”

Tyler nodded in greeting as he pattered to a stop a few feet from Josh, shorts swishing a bit at his knees. Josh thought he would have gotten changed after being in the lockers for so long.

“I was just wondering if you wanted to practice together.”

It wasn't the first time that Tyler had asked to ‘shoot hoops’ together. It also wasn't the first time Josh shot him down. Not that he had anything against Tyler. Josh liked most of the members of his team, Tyler included.

It was just that Josh didn't really have time to hang around for an extended period of time after practice, along with other superficial details.

Obviously there were other solutions to his problems but by the time Josh thought of them he had found comfort in the routine of practicing by himself for a few minutes.

Josh didn't explain this to Tyler though, instead opting for a simple, “Sorry, Joseph. Not today. Maybe next week?”

They both knew it wouldn't happen, but social etiquette demanded them to ignore that.

“Sure.” Tyler replied, slightly dejected. And Josh felt bad, truly. But he thought it would be weird to change his mind so suddenly. “Next week.”

* * *

Next week came and went.

Tyler had managed to get Josh to throw some hoops with him by staying back with Josh instead of changing. Josh wouldn't say he hated it but the silence of two people figuring out what to say wasn't pleasant. So they ended up just playing a small one on one, the bounce of rubber against slick wood being the main sound on the court for the majority, overpowering the occasional sound of sneakers skidding on floor.

Josh would have to give it to Tyler, he was persistent.

Three weeks in a row. That was how long it took before Josh gave in, tossing the ball from his chest to slam against Tyler's and ask, “why are you doing this?”

Tyler had caught the ball with ease. He was more talented than Josh when it came to the sport. “Just wanted a friend.”

“... Okay.” He didn't know what else to say.

It took another five minutes before either of them spoke a word.

“So, why did you join the club?” Each third word lined up with the beat of the ball hitting the ground as Tyler dribbled on the spot.

Josh shrugged and made a vague noise, looking down and to the left so he didn't have to feel the full force of the clumsy conversation. “You?”

“I'm on the campus a lot, thought I would give it a shot.” The ball left Tyler's fingers and was sliding against the inside of the net the next second. “Plus, it helps get my parents off my back. They think I need to have something to do with my time.”

“Okay.”

“You don't talk much, do you?” Tyler asked as he collected the ball. Josh didn't know how to say _not really. Especially not with strangers_. So he said:

“I don't know what to say.”

Tyler looked at him weird. Josh didn't appreciate it. “Just say whatever.”

He thought for a brief moment, scouring his brain for whatever had been lingering on his mind that week. The best he could come up with was,

“There's a crack in my roof that worries me.”

The ball bounced away from Tyler for a couple skips before he replied. “Huh, okay. Not what I was expecting but better than nothing.”

Josh couldn't think of anything else to say as reply, so he was thankful when the coach told them to ‘get off the court, you buggers.’

So he picked up his bag, returned the ball, and left the gym, bypassing the side doors.

He didn't think much of it for the rest of the week, skipping the Thursday practice by accident and then stressing out about it afterwards.

Josh had called the coach and apologised profusely, saying he hadn't meant to and that he would definitely be there Monday.

“Don't worry about it, kid.” Josh in general found coach’s gruff voice surprisingly comforting, despite its constant tired undertone.

“I really didn't mean to, sir.” He shook out his hand to get rid of the remaining trembles that came from the mild panic he went through earlier.

There was a slight sigh from the other end. “It's fine, you're the most consistent kid there. All the players skip a session at some point. You're all good, boy.”

“Thank you.” Josh quickly thought about adding more, deciding it was for the best. “I just didn't want you to think that I was…”

“Yeah, I got you.” Their conversation lulled for a bit, tempo pausing before he started again. “I was worried about you at first, but you surprised me. You're a good kid, and you've worked hard.”

The conversation didn't last long after that, Josh not knowing how to really respond to that and there not being much left to say between them.

The words stuck to him though. It was stupid, the coach was grumpy but kind to most of the players, but it felt nice to be… appreciated? Recognised? Reassured? Whatever it was, Josh silently basked in it, wearing it like a coat as he went into the grocery shop with his head held high.

The confidence lasted until about the point he ran into Tyler halfway through his shopping run, trolley a quarter full and brain half empty.

“Oh, Josh. Hey.” Tyler waved him over and Josh’s confidence cracked a little under Tyler’s stare. Not that Tyler was rude, or intimidating, but seeing someone he knew in the shops brought him to reality.

“Hi.” Josh said once he was within normal hearing distance. Tyler had a carton of energy drinks in one hand and a jar of salsa in the other. “Nachos?”

They were standing in the chip aisle, specifically the tortilla chips. It made sense.

“Yeah. I suddenly had a giant craving for them.”

“Nice.”

“What about you?”

He waved his phone, showing off the grocery list on the screen. “Topping up the kitchen.”

“Cool.”

They nodded at each other as they passed by, Josh clutching the handlebars and Tyler taking a chip packet off the shelf.

Josh ignored the way Tyler’s eyes followed after him as he turned the corner. He ignored the weight of the security camera in the corner, the knowledge of something watching him. He ignored the items in his shopping trolley and the cashier and carried on.

* * *

James was the last person Josh thought would approach him, but in retrospect, it probably made the most sense.

He was six five with a tragic haircut that belonged to the nineties and a voice that travelled more than Nick on court. He was also the human equivalent of an overgrown puppy, excited over a ball and the attention of others. It was refreshing to watch him on the court, to overhear (because nobody really had a choice but to overhear James with a voice like that) his conversations on the benches.

“Josh.” James said, dwarfing Josh’s small stature physically, but posture calm enough that Josh felt almost taller than usual. “Hey, I heard you’ve been getting on with Tyler?”

James never really got the weird basketball memo the rest of the guys got, where it was the norm to refer to each other with last names. He and coach Green were one of the only ones Josh could recall calling people by their given name. Or at least the name they preferred. (Marr had been appreciative when they called him by his preferred ‘Sticks’ than his first name. A mystery name Josh still was unaware of).

“I guess. We usually practice a bit more after court.” Josh said with a shrug. He didn’t have a reason nor explanation for Tyler’s actions besides a ‘I want to be friends with you, Josh’. “Why?”

“No reason really. I just hadn’t seen you talk to people much so I wanted to see if you were opening up to the team a bit.”

“I guess.”

James laughed. Josh didn’t think he said much for that reaction but it was a nice sound.

“Well I just wanted to say, if you ever wanted to hang with Nick and I for a bit, we’d be totally down with it.” A hand clapped Josh’s back in an action that was familiar by now. The makeshift basketball team had its own weird bro code about touching but it had never made Josh uncomfortable so he was thankful. “You seem like a rad dude.”

Half of James’s lingo belonged to a different era, along with his gelled up hair.

Josh hesitated, more for the fact that James had never really talked to him rather than distaste or any negative feelings about the idea. “Sure.”

“Sick.”

And then James moved on, jogging onto the court as coach and Leigh called them up, as if the interaction wasn’t anything special. Josh thought over it and decided maybe it was casual, but it was something Josh wasn’t used to.

So he copied James and made his way into the line as instructions and hypothetical scenes were explained to them as if they were a real, funded team. He appreciated coach’s enthusiasm anyway.

“Just don’t break anything this time, boys.” Leigh has been with the team before any of them could remember, dry wit, deadpan and an intolerance for half of the boys bullshit. “Including each other.”

A few pointed looks were sent to Nick, especially from Sticks and his recovering pinky finger, but he laughed it off with a joke and a slap on the back.

Tyler caught Josh’s eye as his chuckle died down, sending him a quick smile that Josh returned, albeit smaller.

“Okay, split up.” Coach called out, breaking the twos interaction. “Usual teams.”

Josh was usually bench regular for the first half of practice matches, same with Tyler on the opposing side, but he didn’t mind. It was fun to see the boys roughhousing as the energy of the game started strong. James, Nick, and Sticks were usual first half regulars and they set the tone of the game as they pushed each other around with loud voices.

There were taunts and teases, calls of insults and mentions of mothers. People were shoved and whistles would follow, either from Leigh or coach.

And then when Josh entered court it was an entirely new ball game, where it was all for the remaining points and clawing back those last few tendrils of the lead and hanging on.

It was just as intense as the flashy first half, but in a way that required more footwork and less running mouths.

Tyler had taken to talking to Josh during matches. He didn’t throw jibes and teases like the others, but encouragements and healthy competition that made Josh want to laugh and show him what he was made of.

“Dun, c’mon, you can't just do a layup like that when we’re having a one-on-one.” Tyler complained as Josh scored a point over him, scoring out from under Tyler’s nose as he had tried to block Josh. “Play fair.”

“That was fair.”

“Ugh, Dun.”

“Joseph, get your head in the game.” Leigh lectured, ignoring the three grown men that began to sing something nostalgic and upbeat from the bench

In the very first fortnight of practice Josh had been grossed out by the heaving chests and sweaty skin of himself and his teammates. But as time carried on, with rubber becoming familiar in his hand and callouses forming on his fingertips, it didn’t bother him as much.

There was a reassurance when his chest was heaving, feeling restricted, and his body was dripping like the rest of the guys.

The burn in his calves never stopped though, even after muscle toned and his endurance doubled.

It was one of the thing that Josh was jealous of, because Tyler never seemed to have a problem jumping around after practice, going onto his tiptoes like he hadn’t spent over twenty five minutes bouncing around.

“Good game, Dun.” Tyler was the last in possession of the ball, had been aiming for a shot when coach called game. “Almost sad we lost.”

“We got James and Nick, no one stands a chance when they’re together. Don’t take it personally.”

The two of them had some weird psychic connection. Josh swore they were either aliens or a new branch of human evolution, because their lack of communication on the court didn’t match up with the synchrony of their plays.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Plus it’s pretty fun to get beat by you, you get pretty into it.”

Over his time in the team, Josh had come to love basketball. It’s familiarity and rules were precious to him.

“I like basketball.”

Tyler did some hybrid of a shrug and a nod. “That’s good. I mean it sucks to play something you hate.”

“Do you not like basketball?”

“I like the team, the game itself is kind of boring. But I figured that’s why most people like it, except for Adrenalin junkies who enjoy the exercise.”

“I guess.” Josh wasn’t really an integral part of the team, not in the social sense, so his enjoyment mainly came from the physical rewards of it. When he had started talking to Tyler he had hoped that would change. “The team’s good.”

“Oh wow.” Tyler startled a laugh slightly. “What a raving review, dude.”

“It’s not like that. I just, don’t really know the guys well.”

“I mean, you could if you talked to them a bit more. Maybe smiled once in awhile.”

Josh went to step on his foot, a bluff, but it was enough to send Tyler jumping away with a laugh. “I smile.”

“Yeah, when we're playing a game.” Tyler sent a foot out at Josh in return, aiming for his toes as Josh skittered to the side. “You look like everyone’s going to eat you as soon as courts done.”

Truth be told, Tyler wasn’t that far off the mark.

“Shut up.” Josh maybe understood the strange teasing culture of the basketball team, because as Tyler poked at him with his words, it was hard to keep a grin of his lips. “I smile.”

“There we go.” Tyler tossed the ball his way. “You’ve got a nice smile.”

It was hard to resist smiling more, so Josh stopped struggling.

* * *

Rain should have been expected, but there were signs Josh hadn’t quite clicked into place until he stepped foot outside the sports centre and got hit with a sheet of water and wind. The humidity in the air. The sticky feeling before the downpour. The darkening of the clouds as he had walked to practice. But Josh had ignored them, focusing on the potential outcomes of practice and his post game ‘hang out’ with Tyler.

So he was the one who made himself a fool.

Josh sighed as he settled down on one of the undercover steps, looking out over the car park. The rain hit the cars without hesitation, bouncing off and creating the weird illusion of an aura around the cars, when the light caught the multitude of droplets.

He played with the keys for his house as he waited, spinning them around his fingers and alternating between flipping them between joints. There was an outlier of a key, one bright red and unused. It was kind of a pitiful set, with only four keys donning the ring, but it was enough for Josh.

“Do you need a ride?”

Josh glanced back and saw Tyler, door still in hand as he walked outside. He shook his head and went back to watching the glowing cars. “No, thanks.”

“You sure?”

Footsteps ended just behind Josh, he could see the legs of Tyler in his peripheral, bright skin amongst the grey brick and dim lighting. “Yeah.”

Tyler made a noncommittal noise, a vague ‘mmkay’ and settled down on the step beside Josh. They didn’t speak, Josh playing with his key and Tyler swaying slightly on the brick stairs.

Josh wasn’t quite sure why Tyler was waiting with him, he had a few guesses, but he would have assumed that the lack of talking and miserable weather would be draining enough to kill the want to make a friend. At least in that very moment.

But Tyler persisted.

“Do you like dark chocolate?”

Josh’s brow fell heavy as he casted a look at Tyler. Tyler just flashed him a grin before looking back out over the car park.

“Yeah…?”

“Cool.”

Josh looked him up and down again, as if answers would appear on Tyler’s body like words. Nothing.

Random question dealt with and no answers forthcoming, Josh turned back to the rain, shivering a bit when the wind sent a layer of wet to hit his shins.

He briefly thought of moving but decided against it, not wanting to crack the strange but somewhat pleasant mood he had with Tyler.

“Were you a space kid or a dinosaur kid?”

Another one.

“Space kid.”

“Huh, yeah I can see that. I was a pirate kid.”

A tree branch swayed with the wind, droplets falling of the leaves to hit their shoes. Josh thought Tyler might regret getting changed seeing as all his fresh clothes would be soaked by the rain at this rate.

“Way to break the mold.”

That got a laugh from Tyler. “Uhh… favourite colour?”

It sounded more hesitant than the others, a perfect example of grasping for straws. “What is this? Twenty questions?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, okay.”

“So? Favourite colour?”

Josh couldn’t think of a colour, it changed a lot. Plus, who thought about their favourite colour? “I don’t know. You?”

Tyler shrugged. “Yeah, I have no idea. Stupid question. Moving on.”

Tyler started. “Uhh.”

Tyler shifted. “What happened to your car?”

“Moms shift keeps changing, she’s using it now.” Josh prayed that Tyler didn’t look at him strange, or ask why there wasn’t a second car, or anything more to do with the topic.

“Cool, cool.” Tyler didn’t ask more and Josh was thankful. “You know you could ask some questions as well. Puts a lot of pressure on me to think of them all.”

“Why are you sitting here?”

“I don’t want to run to my car, I’ll get soaked, dude. Plus you’re pretty fun to chill with. And I told you, you seem nice. I want to be friends.”

Josh didn’t think it was that simple, really. But the way Tyler said it, he made it seem so.

“Guess that makes it my turn again?” Tyler didn’t really pose it as a question, it was more rhetoric and to himself. Josh made a noncommittal noise anyway. “Ummm… okay… how about. Uh. Ooh, okay. Would you rather be two feet tall or ten?”

“What?” Josh didn’t think either option was preferable. “Two feet, I guess.”

“Really?” Tyler said with a tone akin to judgement. Josh didn’t see the problem.

“Yeah, it’s the logical option here.”

“It is _not_.” Tyler turned to him, full body directed to Josh as he began to get passionate. He looked like a child as he tucked his knees up to his chest to fit on the step, arms wrapped around them with wide, incredulous eyes. “Are you kidding me, dude? Two feet? You couldn’t do anything. Imagine playing basketball ten feet tall. You would just win automatically.”

“They wouldn’t let you play if you were that tall.”

He inhaled sharply to argue before he seemed to properly think about it. Tyler deflated a smidge as he thought it over.

“Okay, decent point.” Tyler snapped his fingers in a way to suggest his next idea. “Okay, well imagine how inconvenient you’d be if you were two feet. You’d have to be carried everywhere.”

Josh shook his head softly. “Just get an automated chair if it’s that much of a bother.”

“Clothes. You can’t get clothes if you’re two feet tall. I’m sure there gotta be some clothes out there for tall people.”

“Kids clothes? They would fit. And people like dressing their kids in adult styles. And no, there is no clothes for someone ten feet tall.” Josh was surprised by how adamant the conversation had made him.

Tyler grinned at the energy in Josh’s voice, seeming to enjoy Josh’s active participation in the conversation. “You’re saying in the history of ever there’s never been a ten foot tall person?”

“Of course there has been. That has nothing to do with the argument. Just because they exist doesn’t mean there’s clothes for them.”

He conceded that point, giving Josh a little shrug that almost annoyed him. “Okay, I’ll give you that. But being ten feet would be way cooler.”

“You’d hit your head on everything.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be be able to reach the handle.”

“I’ll just get a little hook thing to pull it down.”

“Then I’ll just duck. Way easier.”

Damn. Josh was losing. He raked his brain for any other examples.

“Oh! I’ve got one. Okay, you wouldn’t be able to go on any ride. Ever.”

Tyler pointed back at Josh in defence. “Neither would you.”

“Umm, kids ride? Anything that’s out there for kids, I could use.”

“Damn it.”

“Just accept it. I’m right.”

“Fine. Fine. Okay. You got that one.”

“Ten feet?” Josh laughed a bit, just something under his breath at the thought of being that tall.

“Your turn.” Tyler patted Josh’s arm with the back of his knuckles. “Cmon.”

No. Josh was really bad at coming up with things under pressure, either blurting out something insanely stupid or coming up blank. “Ugh….” He began, “would you rather… um. Okay. Would you rather have an infinite supply of coffee, or. Uh. Go on a hot balloon ride whenever?”

“Hot balloon ride. A hundred percent. That would be sick. Imagine just showing up to work in a hot balloon.”

“That would be pretty cool.”

Josh nodded and Tyler nodded back. Silence fell again, but it felt more comfortable on Josh’s shoulders. Less of a pressure, no niggling creature on his shoulder, biting at his nerves and telling him to _think, speak, say something_.

“That makes it my turn. Okay.” Tyler inhaled after his last word, long and loud as he scrunched up his eyes. Josh watched him lift the toes of his shoes off the ground, rocking his feet by the heels as he thought. “This is hard.”

“I know.”

Tyler didn’t quite laugh at Josh’s comment, more of a huff. A sharp breath of air forced from his nose in amusement. “Alright, smart guy. Would you rather walk home in the rain if it doesn’t stop or get a ride home.”

Josh didn’t think it was very fair to ask questions applying to the context of the afternoon but he reasoned that without rules, there was no fairness. Fault on him for getting too caught up in a game with no limits.

“Walk.”

“Really? Why? I’m not going to, what, abduct you?”

Josh shrugged and looked back out to the car park, he couldn’t answer Tyler if he wanted. Not even he knew why he didn’t quite want to get into the car with Tyler.

“Doesn’t matter.” He replied. “The rains letting up.”

That it was, Josh wasn’t just making excuses. It had gotten the point we’re it could be called a drizzle, only the remnant of the clouds liquid being released upon the world, even as it continued to stay grey.

Tyler sighed, leaning back on his hands and stretching out his legs in front of him, crossed at the ankle and looking perfectly comfortable on top of the cold stone steps. Josh couldn’t relate. He was pretty sure he lost feeling to his lower half halfway through their conversation.

“That sucks.”

“Why?”

He turned to Josh with a slight smile but furrowed brow. “Because I was having fun talking to you.”

“Oh.”

Trachea contracting with a sharp click, saliva sliding against his cilia, Josh looked away as Tyler laughed softly.

“You seem like a good one, Dun. I just want to be friends with you, I don’t know how many times I gotta tell you this. No need to be so shy. I don’t know what I did to make you hate me but–“

“I don’t hate you.” It probably wasn’t as sharp or as strong as it should have been, to really comfort and shoot down Tyler’s assumptions, but it didn’t sound like a lie. With more conviction, he said. “I don’t hate you, I’m just bad at making friends.”

“That makes two of us.”

Josh didn’t see how Tyler was bad at making friends, seeing as he had done most of the talking for both of them but he didn’t argue.

But Josh hummed in a vague agreement as he stood up, body slow and stiff from the cold. His foot was numb, not to the point of danger, but enough that it felt heavy and dead as blood flushed to it.

In a moment of forwardness, Josh reached out a hand for Tyler, helping him to his feet with unstable balance. He arose much smoother than Josh did, but Josh rationalised that he had been in the cold much longer than Tyler.

It was a quick jog to Tyler’s car, Josh following like an afterthought before he realised he hadn’t needed to.

Seeing as he had already walked Tyler halfway to his car, he committed to the act and carried on.

The beep and clunk of Tyler’s car lock system was relieving and disappointing, a cue to their end. At least until the next practice.

Exhaustion momentarily hit him as Tyler climbed into the car, throwing his stuff into the back as Josh yawned.

“So,” Tyler began, “I’ll see you around?”

“I mean we have practice next week.”

“Right right.”

There was tapping on both the wheel from Tyler and the canvas of the bag from Josh, both thinking of something to say.

Josh repositioned the bag on his shoulder, switching the weight from the left to right. “I should probably get going. Before it gets dark.”

Tyler glanced up at the sky. It was hard to see with overcast, but, “Yeah. Sure of course. Thanks for talking to me.”

“I should be the one saying that but no problem.”

“Hey, hang on, wait a moment.” Tyler said in a hurry, as if Josh was just about to walk off.

But Josh entertained him, humming and shifting his weight to show he wasn’t going anywhere. Tyler’s head disappeared as he stretched around to the back, tossing things to the side as he searched in the backseat. Josh could see where the seatbelt cut into Tyler’s stomach, and the twisted expanse of his back, and from what he could see, Tyler looked pretty stupid looking, tangled in his belt.

In a movement that should have caused whiplash, he swiveled around and reached out the window. “In case it starts raining again.”

Josh looked down at the umbrella in his hands.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, totally.” Tyler said, shaking it at him.

Josh took it with heavy fingers.

“Thanks.”

Tyler shrugged as he settled himself back behind the wheel in proper form. “You can come over some time as a thanks?”

It wasn’t the most confident Josh had seen him, with the shrug of his shoulders and the hesitation in his voice. But Tyler had made many peace offerings of friendship and Josh really wanted to take him up on them.

“Yeah. I could do that. If you want.”

Jokingly, Tyler regained his groove and grinned back at Josh. “I wouldn’t be practically blackmailing you if I didn’t want it.”

“True.” Josh wrung the umbrella in his hands, but it felt less like a nervous twist, and more an act of strengthen resolve. “Okay, how about Friday?”

“Oh, I can’t do Friday.”

That killed the flow pretty fast.

“Oh.”

Tyler pulled a face for a second, squinting an eye as he thought. “How about Saturday?”

“Yeah. Yeah, Saturday works.”

“Sick.” Tyler had been hanging out with James too much.

“Cool.”

“See you Saturday.”

“See you Saturday.” Tyler said with a wave. “And Dun, be careful on your way home.”

“Will do.”

Josh started to walk off as the car honked at him. He turned back to see what Tyler wanted just in time to catch the blue sports drink flying his way. Despite the months of training, Josh still fumbled with the throw.

He went to complain at Tyler, only to be stopped by the smile on his face and the final words of, “Stay hydrated, space kid. See you Saturday.”


	2. Two-Man Slide Drills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two lines are formed made of pairs. Pairs will go down the court while making chest passes back and forth to each other. Players must make sure not to dribble or foul. Increases passing skills between players

Josh was stuck in the awkward spot of wanting to hurriedly get to Tyler's house so he could get out of the oppressive heat, but also wanting to walk forever so he wouldn't have to deal with the small talk and nervous interactions of a new friend.

It was a hundred degrees too hot to be walking to Tyler's but seeing as most buses didn't head that way during the middle of the day, and Josh couldn't get a lift, he sucked it up, slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way.

According to the map on his phone, he had two streets left before he reached Tyler's, and the hesitation was setting in.

He hadn't really had anyone he was close to since high school, so part of him was definitely excited at the prospect of a friend. His mind had been supplying him possible ideas of situations he could get into with a new buddy; little scenes of getting food and bonding. They crept into his bedtime imaginations, as his train of thought slowly derailed into potential ‘what if’s.

So growing the weird friendship he had with Joseph had its appeal. There was definitely the excitement of making a new friend.

But there was also the _fear_ of making a new friend.

Trying to make a decent impression.

Josh had to capture Tyler’s interest enough that he would want to stick with Josh.

Those things were aspects Josh hadn't quite nailed in his life. Meeting new people usually went two ways for him: disinterested or annoying and over the top.

Occasionally his mind would completely blank on what to say, the words getting caught in the web of his brain, not quite making it to his mouth. That was frustrating, making him appear disinterested when really, he just… didn't know what to say.

On the other side of the coin, Josh sometimes appeared almost manic. Josh hated it more than the disinterest, but it was one of the few things he couldn't quite manage. When faced with a blank space in a new conversation, he would end up blurting out whatever was on his mind, leading to strange stares and hesitation from the other party. It made him feel like a twelve year old struggling for the right thing to say to be cool.

He especially hated it because he could tell. He could recognise that he was being _too much_ , but he couldn't stop the words leaving his mouth and making a bad impression. The same way he couldn't force words out of his larynx when he reached a wall in his brain.

So, it wasn't unreasonable for Josh to be hesitant at the potential conversation. Especially with the safety net of basketball removed. Plus the added unknown environment of Tyler's home.

But it didn't matter because Josh's hand was already knocking on the door of Tyler's house and he just had to accept the inevitable.

Tyler appeared as the door swung open, smile plastered to his face. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

Josh stepped through the threshold after Tyler moved away.

“Uh. Do you want a drink? You look a little puffed.”

If Josh looked as bad as he felt then he was not making any great impressions; red face, slightly heaving chest, and freshly washed hair already sweaty. What a sight to behold, he was sure.

He followed after Tyler into the kitchen, pulling at the cloth against his chest, trying to fan himself and cool his core body temperature. Walking was a mistake. He stopped when Tyler turned around with a glass of water in his hands. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Josh took it with slightly shaky fingers.

“So, I was thinking we could just hang in my room.” He glanced at Josh's presumably red face. “And I'm guessing you don't really want to go out into the heat again.”

“Yeah, room sounds great. No more sun.”

He could feel the heat radiating from his neck. Definitely sunburnt.

“Cool. Cool.”

They walked through the house together, Tyler confidentially and in front. Josh stumbling slightly behind with a tight grip on the glass and his backpack.

Josh should say something.

“Nice stairs.”

“Thanks. Do you have stairs at your house?”

“Yeah, our banisters chipped though.” Josh let go of the grip on his bag to slide his hand along the smooth wood as he ascended. “There's not as much light in ours as yours.”

“Hah, okay then. Do you like them?”

“The stairs?”

“Yeah.” Tyler stepped onto the second floor landing.

“I guess. They're just stairs. They do their job.”

Josh didn't know how to interpret the way Tyler looked back at him and said. “But you like mine?”

“I guess.”

“You do a lot of guessing.” Tyler's laugh lessened the potential meanness of the comment. “Anyway, this is mine.”

He nodded his head in the direction of the open doorway, stepping into the room the next second.

Josh followed.

“Nice room.” Josh said with a slight smile, hoping that the repetition of the joke would be funny, not fall flat like he feared.

“I'm guessing you like it better than yours?”

There was a slight squeak of springs as Tyler settled on his bed, pushed away into the corner with unmade sheets and a pile of clothes on the end of it.

“Definitely.” Despite its mess, the room was an improvement from Josh’s, with wide windows and a big bed. “Mine’s a jail cell compared to yours.”

“Hmm,” Tyler said as he patted the end of his bed, beckoning Josh over with every tap. “We can hang at yours next then.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t want to go to mine. I’ve got three siblings, they’d harass you the second you walked through the door.”

Actually, Josh hadn’t had a friend over in… a few years.

That was depressing to think of.

“Ahh, I’ve got three as well. They’re not back from school yet so we get some silence, at least for a bit.”

Hopefully not too much silence, the awkwardness from a stilted conversation and it’s inevitable quite was always something that Josh swore he could physically feel when it settled on his shoulders.

“I was thinking of just watching a movie?”

Josh followed Tyler as he manoeuvred off the bed and crawled to the tv. Truthfully Josh was a bit useless, he didn’t know the controls of the tv, but he felt uncomfortable just sitting on Tyler’s bed.

So he wrestled his bag of his hot back, hoping Tyler didn’t see him struggle to get it off when the strap got caught on his elbow.

The sound of the screen coming alive rang out in symphony with Josh’s zipper, the sounds quick and familiar.

Just before Josh had left his home, he had gotten a text from Tyler, asking what he wanted for lunch. He had sent back a simple reply that he would bring his own stuff, not wanting to put Tyler out of his way when he had food laying around.

“Have you seen Monty Python? The holy grail?” Tyler asked as he flipped through screens of movies, the tv whirring to keep up and talk to the hard drive.

He shrugged as he pulled out some dip, still relatively cold in his hand, although that could have been his high body temperature. Nothing was worse than warm dip.

“Maybe when I was a kid.” Josh could remember brief scenes of rabbits and Knights, a famous line about a scratch, but not enough to claim he knew the movie.

Tyler hummed in thought. “I watched it the other month, it’s pretty good.”

“We can watch that if you want?”

“You sure?” Tyler asked as he looked back at Josh.

Nodding, Josh set the ziploc bag of cut carrots on the ground, not really fussed about what they were going to watch. “Yeah.”

“Is that dip?” The tone of Tyler’s question was a bit off, at least to Josh’s ears. It wasn’t mean, but Josh felt like there had been a joke and he had missed the punchline.

“Is that not okay?”

“Nah, it’s all good.” He picked up the dip, inspecting it in the light of the window and tv. “I like it.”

“I’ve got MnM’s if you like them more?”

“MnM’s are good.”

So Josh fished out the bag of probably half melted chocolate and tossed them at Tyler, catching him off guard as he fumbled the foods.

“Dodgy throw, Dun. Practice your aim.”

Josh momentarily forgot how to bite his tongue. “Learn how to receive and then you can criticise me.”

But Tyler didn’t seem to mind, grinning wide at Josh’s comment as he ripped open the packet. Small balls of chocolate were being tossed at Josh’s cheek the next second.

“Piss off.”

Tyler didn’t let up. “Where’s your receive, Dun? C’mon.”

The next MnM flew through the air, orange and heading straight for Josh, so he tipped his head back, opened his mouth, and a clack sounded out.

“Oh dude, you alright?” Josh didn’t answer him, clutching his front tooth as Tyler shuffled over to Josh. “That sounded bad.”

“Ow.”

Fingers tugged at his hand, pulling it away from his mouth for Tyler to inspect. “You’re not bleeding, so I don’t think it hit your gum.”

That was something at least.

“Dodgy throw, Joseph.” Josh groaned, sucking on his teeth as the last of the pain faded.

“Terrible catch, Dun.” He bit back.

Josh pushed him a bit, foot against his side as he sat up properly. “You’re the worst.”

“Hey, no.” Tyler pushed him back, hand heavy against his shoulder. “I resent that, Nick’s the worst.”

He shrugged just to get a rise from Tyler.

“Have you ever played the grail game?” Tyler asked, randomly out of the blue and making little sense to Josh.

“The what?”

“The grail game.” There was a pause as Tyler crunched down on a carrot he picked up. “You choose something in the movie and take a shot every time it happens. Like, take a shot every time they ride a horse. Except usually, y’know, something less common, so you don’t die of alcohol poisoning.”

“I’m not much of a drinker.”

Tyler shifted a bit, leaning more on his left shoulder as his body faced more in Josh’s direction. “Same, but I mean, we could change it up a bit?”

“I guess?” The only thing he could think of would be to replace the drinks with juice, but that didn’t seem that appealing or entertaining. “How?”

When Tyler spoke, it was less words and more a hum of noises that vaguely resembled, “I dunno.”

“Great.”

The remote spun in Tyler’s hand, point of contact with his thumb and forefinger, as he groaned. “You come up with something then.”

“You’re the one that suggested it.” Josh said, complacent and casual with a light shrug.

“I’m trying to have some fun here, dude. Contribute to the cause.” Tyler sighed out as he tossed his head back against the mattress. “No need to rain on my parade if you’re not going to help out.”

Josh deflated, sickness hitting him in the gut and dragging him down. He’d said the wrong thing.

“Sorry.” It came out too quiet for Josh’s liking.

Tyler’s reaction was instantaneous, springing up to round on Josh with waving hands of comfort and a shaking head. “Hey, hey. No it’s alright. I was just joking. Sorry, that’s on me, bad joke and everything. Wasn’t even funny.”

“No, you’re right. I should have–.”

“Dude,” Tyler’s elbow bumped his. “Seriously, you did nothing wrong. I’m not upset or anything, I was just playing around. I’m glad you’re able to joke around with me.”

Josh still wanted to apologise but he felt that if he did he’d just be stuck in a cycle of reassurance and sorry’s. “We could just eat the candy instead?”

“Eat away the awkwardness, sounds like a plan, my man.” Tyler made some gesture with his hands that Josh felt he should have understood.

“No, like, instead of a shot. We could have an mnm.”

“An mnm?”

”Yeah, split them between the two of us and whoever finishes wins.”

“Sure, I guess?” Tyler couldn’t seem to think of any better ideas so he shrugged and tipped the m&ms into the stray bowl he pulled from out of Josh’s line of sight. Josh wasn’t going to question where it came from, it would probably be for the best.

The forty seven they counted out got split into two piles, the stray outlier immediately going into Tyler’s mouth with a crunch.

They ended up with Tyler having the pile of m&ms stuck in the dip, both too lazy to get a second bowl.

“This is going to taste so gross.” He complained as he looked back at the bowl of dip and chocolate, closing the blinds as Josh turned the tv on.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Although he said that, Josh was definitely glad he got the - questionably - clean bowl.

“You’re not the one who has to eat hummus chocolate.” Tyler sat down next to him with a thud, back leaning against the bed.

Josh felt nervous as he sat on the floor by Tyler, a flurry of worst case scenarios flowing through his mind. He could either blank on what to say, or say something to scare Tyler away altogether.

The booming music didn’t help his unsettled self, but the dark and humour of the subtitles helped ease any discomfort. The confusion helped too. “What is wrong with these subtitles?”

“Oh, if you think this weird, just wait till the movie actually starts.” Tyler said with a smile, eager looking and anticipating whatever Josh’s reaction would be.

The subtitles played for too long, but the opening sounds of generic horse riding replaced them eventually. Unknowing of the film and whatever was about to unfold, Josh took advantage of Tyler’s earlier suggestion.

“Every time they use fake horses, with the coconut things.” Josh said, popping a piece of candy into his mouth as the sounds played out from the speaker.

“Dude, straight off the bat? That’s not fair.” Tyler complained as he moved his leg, shifting the bowl in his lap to an easier to access spot. “Okay, every time Arthur introduces himself.

A crunch followed, peanut breaking under teeth and a strong jaw.

“Again, what is this movie?” Josh said in confusion, the dialogue switching pace in a way he didn’t expect.

“It’s greatness.” There was a sound of glee from Tyler. “Ooh, another one for me.”

“No.” Josh glanced over at the rattling sound of candy in a bowl. “That doesn’t count, he was only saying his name.”

He was ignored as Tyler brought the peanut m&m up to his mouth, tossing it in with a smug look.

“Get that out of your mouth right now.” Josh cried as Tyler looked him in the eye. He groaned the next second, Tyler eating the chocolate like a little kid, with victory and rebellion. “Cheating already?”

“Always, I gotta win somehow.” Tyler replied, still chewing.

With spite, Josh ate another piece of candy as the scene changed, the sound of coconuts justifying his decision. Unlike a certain cheater.

Putting his last two cents in, Josh grumbled. “You’re so unfair.”

“Stop whining.”

Bell rings brought his attention back to the screen. “Every time dialogue is repeated.”

Josh collected a small handful quickly, plopping them into his mouth each time the man called out for the dead, taking advantage of the repetitive dialogue.

“Oh, I’m the cheater? Don’t grab the low hanging fruit.” Tyler complained, forced frown on his face. Josh was on the weird line of whether or not he’d gone too far, but he’d trust Tyler would tell him if he was actually upset.

“And another one for me,” Josh said as Arthur clopped off screen, smug and victorious. “You’re really falling behind, Joseph.”

That got him a shove of a shoulder.

“Every time Arthur’s theme is on.” Tyler called over the music, scooping up a piece to pop into his mouth. “And it’s louder than the coconuts, doesn’t count. None for you.”

Josh tapped the side of Tyler’s calf with a turn of his foot, paying him back for the confident grin on Tyler’s face.

Which wasn’t necessary, as Josh got his blessed reward in the sound of banging coconuts.

“I think that’s one for me, sucks for you.” He said with a smile that tasted like sweet chocolate and victory.

Tyler didn’t bless him with a reply, instead crunching down on a candy and saying, “every time an extra talks like that.”

“Objection, too vague.”

He was ignored as Tyler grabbed another m&m, preparing to eat it. “Overruled, you know what I mean.”

“Clarify, or your opinion will be withdrawn. I’ll send you to jail for that mnm. Illegal move, dude.”

There was a laugh from Tyler and Josh was worried the m&m was going to melt in Tyler’s hands. “This is so lame.”

“I’m having fun.” Josh said with a shrug, mildly defensive.

“I am too,” Tyler said with a nudge to Josh. “So, every time an extra talks about things they shouldn’t know or act out of rhythm, I get a mnm?”

“You can only have per character.”

There was a pause.

“Fine…” Tyler conceded, “but back at you with the dialogue, only one per character.”

Josh chewed down another one, tongue going weird from the continuous sugar. “A’ight, sounds fai’.”

“Ew, don’t eat with your mouth full.”

“Can’t help it, I have to eat one every other second at this rate.”

Tyler laughed almost incredulously at Josh’s taunt. “Because you’re cheating.”

“You never put rules down, that’s your fault.”

Whatever sharp comment was on the tip of Tyler’s tongue got shoved to the side as Tyler basked in the sound of Arthur’s theme, swaying to it with exaggeration. “Mmm, sweet music.”

They both reached to grab some candy at the same time, Josh managing to spit out a “there’s coconuts too,” before he was cramming sugar into his mouth.

The movie cut back and forth between music and violence, and the two followed with it. Shoving each other as they tried to shove the candy into their mouth with each cut.

Foul play came into the game as they grabbed each other’s hands or covered mouths, coughing accompanied them as much as laughs did as they did their best to stop the other.

“Ev’y time there’s a sw’d ‘fect.” Tyler mumbled against his hand, sliding an m&m against his face as he tried to get it into his mouth, digging under Josh’s palm.

Tyler nibbled away at it despite Josh’s glare, eating a candy himself with his free hand as the clopping played and the music faded.

“This isn’t fair.” Josh complained as Tyler shoved piece after piece into his mouth with each clang of the swords. “Only 3 per fight or you’ll win straight away.”

“Not my fault I chose a good one.”

“Tyler,” Josh resorted to whining, “I haven’t seen this before, c’mon.”

There was a stop in Tyler’s candy eating as he sighed and dropped the chocolate back in the bowl. “Fine.”

“Thanks.” Josh said as he ate a piece for more dialogue. The game was making him highly aware of how much repetition was used for humour in the movie.

Less than a moment later Josh was downing another one for the horse noises. At least the ones he chose were consistent, slow and steady would win the race.

“Does this count as repeated dialogue?” Josh whispered as chants filled the room, men in robes repeating possible Latin.

“I’ll give you this one since you’re losing.”

“I’m not losing.” Josh complained but ate his m&m anyway.

“Sure.”

“I’m not.” He whined as the crowd on the screen grew louder. “And these too?”

Keywords were being shouted out, over and over again, cursing a witch.

Tyler waved and sighed his hand, “only one.”

“So generous.” Josh took an extra sneaky one as the crowd kept repeating different dialogue, his lips hurting a bit from the constant sugar.

“No more.” Tyler whined at the crowds, looking down at his half full bowl of chocolate.

“I’m feeling a little sick from all this chocolate.”

“Way to ru–.”

Their attention was pulled away by the sound of Tyler's phone going off on his bedside table, something different but generic. A ringtone that came from the list in the general settings but not the predisposed one.

“You mind?” Tyler nodded behind him to the table.

“Go ahead.”

“Thanks.”

Josh watched as Tyler got up, grabbing the phone before checking the contact. He answered immediately and left the room, heading to the hallway as he said. “Hey, Jen.”

Absentmindedly, Josh gazed down at the carpet, running his hands over the texture as he tried not to overhear the conversation. The wool felt nice against his palms.

“Deep breaths. What's wrong?”

Tyler's tone had changed, supportive and calm as his breathing became more deliberate and loud. Josh knew that technique, had used it a couple times to calm a friend before an exam in high school. The nicest form of the imitation game.

“It's going to be okay. No listen, it will be… yes I know. When have I ever been wrong?” There was a brief pause. “Okay, maybe a couple times, but. See you're laughing, that's better. Just keep breathing. Look, he's a bully, and it sucks but you're strong and he can't do anything to you. Not legally at least. You're gonna be alright. Tom saw what went down, right? Then you're all good.”

Josh did his best to piece together the story, guilt of eavesdropping disappearing with the pretence of not listening in.

“Yeah, of course. You know you’re always welcome here. Just come over. We can eat in, watch a movie. How far away are you?”

Tyler seemed like a good friend. At least one to rely on. Josh hoped he could reach the point where he could confide in Tyler. He wanted a close friend.

“See you soon. Love you.”

There was nothing for a moment before a sigh. Josh played with his ankle, rubbing the protruding bone.

“Hey, I'm really sorry. Umm, my girlfriend’s coming over, she had a rough day. Bad boss and all that.” Tyler said as he entered the room, rubbing the back of his head as he tossed his phone on the bed.

“You want me to head out?” Josh didn't mind. He understood.

“I think that would be for the best.” Tyler kicked some of the clothes on the floor into the basket in the corner. “Sorry about this.”

“It’s okay. I hope everything works out.” Josh grabbed his bag and swung it over his shoulder as he stood. He passed a dirty shirt to the cleaning Tyler. “Good luck with your room. It’s a mess.”

“Ha, thanks.” He took the shirt with a smile.

“You can have the snacks if you want, seeing as you’re gonna have someone over. And chocolate always helps right?”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, definitely.”

“Thanks.” Tyler said as he moved the bowls onto the bedside table. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

Josh shrugged and followed suit, one step behind Tyler as they headed down the nice stairs.

They were silent on each step, not a word said as Tyler looked deep in thought. Josh let him be as they approached the door, flat ground under his feet.

“Umm, have a safe walk home.” Tyler said as he clapped Josh on the bicep, the sentence sounding more like an afterthought than anything. “Thanks for coming over.”

“Thanks for inviting me.”

“Anytime.” Tyler tapped the toe of his sock against the ground. “Seriously. This was fun. Can we do it again? I know you’re not a big fan of me but you’re cool.”

Again, Josh didn’t know how to tell Tyler that he didn’t hate him without stumbling over the words and making the situation worse, so he settled for, “you’re cool too. We’ll hang out again. And I’ll see you at practice.”

“Sick.”

Josh thought maybe he was on the path of getting a friend when Tyler smiled at him, a grin that reached his eyes and promised future memories.

He smiled back as he grabbed the doorknob, not looking away as he pulled it open. That broke when he noticed a figure in his peripheral.

In front of him on the doorstep was a girl, presumably the person on the phone judging by the tear red eyes and sudden appearance.

“Oh hi.” She said, wiping at her face and giving a wave. The rubbing smeared the makeup and wetness, more so than get rid of it. “Who are you?”

“Uh, I’m Josh.”

“Basketball boy?” She asked.

Josh took it to mean Tyler had been talking about him. “Yeah, that’s me.”

Tyler butted in, head appearing by Josh’s shoulder and tone giddy as he introduced the two. “This is Jenna, my girlfriend. She’s cool. Jenna, this is Josh. My friend. He’s cool too.”

“Nice to meet you, Josh.” She said with a smile. It reminded Josh a bit of Tyler’s. Maybe more gentle? “Sorry it had to be like this.”

Josh smiled at her self directed joke, hoping it was kind and supportive as she gestured to her black surrounded eyes, not passive and hesitant.

“No problem. Umm, I hope your night gets better?”

Jenna laughed as they swapped places, Josh moving away from the door to let Jenna in before he went outside himself.

“Thanks. You too.”

The couple turned away from Josh as he grabbed the door, talking immediately in a worried back and forth.

“Ty, you had someone over? You could have said no.”

“For you? No doesn't ex–”

Josh shut the door.

* * *

 “What do you want for dinner?” Josh asked as he stuck his head into the lounge, his body following when the tv caught his curiosity.

It looked like a crime show, but he couldn’t distinguish which one. They all had the same formula and scenes. Dead body, a suspect that, plot twist, turned out to be the killer, and some tie in to the main protagonists personal struggles.

“Anything.”

He sighed at the typical response.

“Garden bugs it is.” It was a routine answer to an even more routine answer. Jordan’s indecisiveness, or potential laziness, was a thing Josh was long used to.

Jordan’s eyes continued to watch the screen as he tossed a pillow in Josh’s general direction. It missed.

“You know what I mean.” Adolescence made Jordan even angstier than Josh thought possible. All monotone and deadpan. Josh couldn’t remember acting like that. He hoped Abby would be different. “Also give me the pillow back.”

Josh wasn’t petty so he tossed it back gently and picked up the shirt on the floor, planning to toss it into the laundry basket on the way back. “Carbonara good?”

“Mmm.” Jordan’s reply was a little lacking in actual communication, but it was the best Josh was going to get.

It was good enough for Josh as he loosely folded the clothes against his chest, enough so they would crinkle.

“Hey.” Jordan called, louder than the murmur of the tv.

Josh looked up from the clothing in his hands, watching his brother in the dim light of the tv screen. There was nothing for a second so Josh prompted a response. “Yeah?”

Jordan met his eyes as the screen switched over to an ad. “Thank you.”

Typical.

“You’re gonna have to stop thanking me one day.”

That cracked a smile from Jordan, eyebrows jumping with jest as he talked back.

“Not happening. I’m a good kid. Mama raised me right, I have to show respect. Especially to the elderly.” To make sure Josh didn’t miss the incredibly subtle remark at Josh’s age, he grinned a familiar grin that was only used at Josh’s expense. “Not sure where she went wrong with you.”

“...’Respect’.”

 

 


	3. Rookie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slang for a new teammate and player. Not limited to basketball but still commonly used.

A week later he got a call.

“You remember Josh, right?” Tyler asked, hand on Josh’s shoulder as he guided them to Jenna. The same hand that had waved to him from across the food court with no shame in how ridiculous he looked.

“The cool one.” Jenna said upon meeting him, seated at a metal table with a bowl of chips in front of her. The smell made Josh salivate. Maybe she saw it on his face or she was psychic. Or she was just plain nice. But she offered up her half empty bowl, sliding the starch and salt over. “Want some?”

“You sure?” He asked; truthfully, really wanting to have a couple but not wanting to put her out of her way.

“Yeah, totally.”

She slid the bowl over and Josh was grateful, for both her gift and for both of them for calling him to hang out.

Eleven in the morning on a Saturday morning Josh had picked up his phone to Tyler’s voice in his ear asking, “Want to come to the mall?”

Josh had looked at the stack of work on his desk, mentally weighing it up. He could stay home, get it done and not stress about it the next day, as per the usual way of his life. Or, he could go out, have some fun for a bit, get out of the house for a couple of hours and hopefully strengthen the slow friendship he was building with Tyler.

He had known that he should do the work, the budget was looking a little cramped for the week, and the quicker he could get the office work back to the company, the faster new work would come through.

But he was so exhausted.

“I’ll be there in thirty.” He had replied.

“Sweet, we’ll see you there.”

So Josh drove down to the local mall, the air still a bit warm but not enough to be uncomfortable. Small mercies.

It probably wouldn’t have mattered either way because as soon as he had entered the shelter of the shops, AC was chilling him to the bone. He should have brought a jumper.

“So tell me about yourself, Josh?” Jenna asked as she leant over to steal a fry, popping it in her mouth with a crunch.

He slid the bowl to the middle of the table so they could both reach. “What do you mean?”

“Well, do you go to college? How old are you? I just don’t know anything about you besides the fact that you do basketball with Ty and apparently you’re really cool. According to him at least.” She jutted a thumb to her left, pointing to Tyler and his mouth full of food. Jenna pulled a face at the sight, not without tenderness though. “Attractive.”

Tyler just grinned the best he could at her with the food in his mouth, keeping his lips sealed. Josh was thankful, it would have put him off his meal - Jenna's leftover chips - to see Tyler’s lunch in his mouth.

“Ummm,” Josh ate a chip to stall. “No, I don’t go to college. Thought about it in high school but decided against it. I play basketball there, obviously, for the community team. And I’m twenty two, you?”

“Twenty, second year language student.” Jenna said with pride. Rightfully so.

“Cool, what language?”

“French and a bit of Japanese and Russian.” Tyler answered for her, speaking between the gap of food consumption. “She’s a genius.”

Jenna knocked him a bit but had a smile on her face anyways. “I’m not a genius, I just like languages. I’m a hard worker.”

Josh respected her for it. He did a unit of French in high school and that was enough for him, vowing to stay away from the complexity of tenses and accents after that. “What do you like about languages?”

It seemed like a safe subject. And it was always easier to talk about the other person's interests.

“I just find them really cool y’know. And everything that comes with it, the culture and attachments to words and sayings. I just really enjoy learning all these new words. And it’s just cool, how many people can say they know two languages.” Jenna spoke with passion, words coming out a bit fast as her mouth seemed to try and keep up with her brain. Josh thought it was pretty cool, seeing someone so engaged with what they loved. Josh could see why Tyler liked her in that moment, she was pretty cute as she carried on about her interests. "Actually, I take that back. Bilingualism isn’t that rare, especially with people with families that come from different backgrounds. But that wasn’t the point. I don’t know, they just seemed like a cool puzzle in high school and thought I’d give it a shot in college before I decided my major. Now I’m here.”

“Wow.” Josh didn’t quite know what to say in the face of the fast verbal onslaught he just received.

“That’s on you, man.” Tyler said with a laugh. “Shouldn’t have gotten her started.”

“Shut up Tyler.”

“No, no. It’s cool.” Josh dismissed Tyler’s joke with a wave of his hand, putting his focus back on Jenna. “Seriously, it’s awesome.”

"Thank you," Jenna said with sincerity.

"No problem." Josh replied with habit.

"What about you?" Tyler pitched in, balling up the empty wrappings of his meal, the crunching plastic and foil fairly quite compared to the hustle and bustle of the food hall.

"Huh?" They both replied in confusion.

"What did you want to do? If you went to college?" He said as if it were obvious. Which it probably was, but Jenna hadn't understood the segue either so Josh mentally pardoned himself.

"Uh." Josh started. He hadn't discussed his education with anyone since senior year, and even then it wasn't the most pleasant of conversations. "I enjoyed human biology and physiology in high school, so I had thought about doing something like that. I was planning on just joining and figuring out what to do next from there."

That was a lie, and Jenna seemed to realise the subject was a little touchy for Josh so she steered the conversation away, finishing off the last chip and grabbing the cheap paper bowl. "Was there anywhere you wanted to shop today, Josh?"

"Nowhere in particular," Josh wasn't planning on buying anything truthfully. "I was just going to stick with you two and do whatever."  


"Sounds good." Tyler said as he grabbed the rubbish from Jenna, sliding the chair out from under the table as he said, "I'll just go trash this and then we can head over?"

Jenna pulled him down a bit to give him a quick kiss in thanks for the rubbish before replying, "Sure. I'll just fill Josh in."

That left Josh and Jenna at the table alone, and even though he had been having a perfectly fine conversation with her before Tyler left, the removal of a safety net set him off slightly. His hands went clammy and shaky and he tried his best to seem natural. It always happened when he tried to talk to someone new by himself.

"So me and Ty were gonna head over to the music store to check out a couple of instruments, Ty's a music buff, and then we were going to pop into a couple of shops for me to grab a dress. I've got a family dinner this week," Jenna said with a grimace. "Grandma's going to be there and everything, so I have to be in my Sunday's best. Sorry, saying it out loud makes me realised how boring today is going to be. Feel free to bail if you want, I totally won't be offended."  
  
Josh shook his head to calm her worries. It sounded fine to him. He hadn't had any delusions of anything fancy when he drove over. When Tyler said they were going to go shopping, he took that in the most literal sense. It was the people that he wanted to get to know, not the activities he wanted to do. "Sounds like a great plan, I'm down."

"Great." Tyler returned to the conversation with a smile, helping Jenna out from her chair while passing Josh his bag as he stood.

It took a moment for Jenna to untangle the strap of her bag from under the chair leg, having being caught as she stood but soon enough they were walking down white tiles, Josh walking by their side and surprisingly not feeling like a third wheel. He had a couple of friends in high school that had been together, that had occasionally been tense, the two stuck in their own world as Josh listened in on their conversation.

Josh also appreciated the fact that Tyler was talking about basketball, something Josh at least had previous knowledge off, so he could join in on the conversation. Jenna didn't seem to mind either, laughing along as they told stories of young men and their stupid decisions, so she was either used to it or a kind soul who didn't mind entertaining them for Josh's comfort.

"I'm actually surprised Nick hasn't been kicked off the team yet." Josh said as they passed through a small crowd, lined up in front of a smoothie vendor.

"Coach wouldn't kick him, he's too nice. Plus Nick is pretty good once he stops playing around with James and Sticks."

"Isn't he the one that broke someone's finger?" Jenna asked. Josh was leaning more towards the idea that Jenna was used to basketball stories than anything else, not that she wasn't a kind soul regardless.

"Yep." Josh started.

Tyler finished, "Threw a ball at Sticks when he wasnt looking, did the whole 'think fast' thing and then bam, Sticks is raising his hand to protect his face and ends up with a fractured finger."  
  
"Ouch," Jenna winced in sympathy. "So it wasn't technically Nick's fault?"

Josh was the one to answer her question. "I mean yes and no, but he felt bad enough that he doesn't mind the team teasing him. Probably thinks it's his retribution."

"It at least stopped the others from randomly tossing balls at people." Tyler had been hit one time, a solid blow to the back from Charles that had knocked him over. Josh took a second to appreciate a small mercy of his rough start with the team, at least he had never been hit by one of the team, the rule coming into play after he started talking to the members. "I swear those three are the reason we have health and safety check ups.  I mean what kind of team has h and s check up's?"

"A team with hazard liabilities on it."

Jenna had a sharp tongue, it fit surprisingly well with the calmness of the rest of her.

"They're not too bad." Tyler defended, even though he was the one joking about them only a moment earlier.

Josh wasn't sure why he said it, but he said it anyway. "James talked to me the other day."

"That's awesome, dude." Tyler cheered from the other side of Jenna, leaning over to pat him on the shoulder. "I hope you can get along with the team, they're good people. James especially, he's nice."

His stomach settled inside of him, some of his anxiety losing itself in the concrete. "Yeah, I would like that."

"Just don't roughhouse with them, okay." Jenna chided. "I already have to patch up one of you, I don't need to deal with two."  
  
Josh didn't get why Jenna thought she'd have to help him if he got hurt, but he appreciated the sentiment.

There was a groan as they reached the entrance to the store, Tyler's shoulders dropping in his peripheral. "I knew we should have come on Wednesday, it's so busy."

It was kind of packed, but Josh was glad they chose the Saturday to go. He worked Wednesday's and so far he enjoyed spending time with the two.

Something old and full of synth played on the overhead radio of the music store, upbeat and nostalgic, setting the mood of the store as something happy and familiar. It instantly put Josh at ease, feeling comfort flow through his body at the lyrics that seemed to roll to the front of his brain, even though he had no memory of remembering them.

And then Tyler disappeared, one moment he was there, the next gone. Josh had looked away, a drum set catching his eye before turning back to the sight of only Jenna, looking at him with patience and amusement.  
  
"Tyler?" Josh looked around their immediate area, checking the few aisles in sight. "... Where?"

Jenna couldn't quite hide the small laugh, gently waving her hand for him to join her side and walk by her. "Ty's a bit of a music fanatic, give him an instrument and he'll try and learn it in a month. So imagine him in a music shop?

"Kid in a candy store?"

"Yep."

"Are we going to even see him in the next half an hour?"  
  
"If we're lucky we'll hear some random chords and maybe the afterimage of him as he rushes around and tries them all."

Josh knew she was joking, but he had half the mind to believe her.

Silence lulled over them again as the topic died but Josh didn't feel as uncomfortable as usual, the goodnatured laugh from Jenna at the sight of Tyler walking between an aisle relaxing him, and the content grin she sent him made the silence feel like a coat on his shoulders rather than a heavy backpack dragging him backwards.

That didn't mean that Josh wasn't struggling for something to say. Jenna must have seen it, or she just had good timing, because she went back to talking about the team. "So, how was basketball this week. Tyler says you're talking to the others more."

"Yeah, I guess." He said with a shrug, leaning against one of the tall bookcases, filled to the brim with educational music books. "It's alright. The sessions feel long now that it's getting hotter."

"Oh yeah, totally." Jenna settled beside him, absentmindedly pulling a book from the shelves to swipe through. "I don't know how you guys do it. I can't stand the heat. As soon as it's over eighty five I'm in shorts and hiding in the shade."

"Mmm, the heat sucks." It was a partial lie, he didn't mind warm days, and could deal with sweat, but it gave him headaches.

"Tyler loves it."

"Yeah?"

The flip of a page. "Yeah, says he's sick of Columbus snow."

Josh laughed but couldn't think of anything to follow it up with so they both descended back into silence, only broken by paper wobbling in the wind as it was turned. He tapped his fingers lightly on the wood of the shelf behind him and peered over Jenna's shoulder, taking in the words on the page.

It was just a generic book, showing of all the basics of theory and notes.

"You know, I don't really get all this. I was taught the whole, 'face' and 'every good boy deserves fruit', but it never really stuck." She said, her head still down as she read over the generic information. "I don't know how Tyler does it."

He didn't want to say, _"its not that hard really, you just have to...",_ didn't want to invalidate her struggles, so instead he pointed down at the lines on the page, and tried his best to simplify it enough that she could understand and so Josh could continue to conversation. "Well, all of that stuff is just scale, the whole a through to g bit. You can break it down into minor and major, but that's when it can get kind of confusing, especially minor. I struggled with that for a long time. Honestly, don't feel bad, I can barely read sheet anyway."

Jenna looked up at him, staring at him with a look on her face. "You play?"

"Uhh, I just did the generic music lessons in school." Josh probably sounded like he knew more than he actually did, and he was no where near the level Tyler was from the sounds of it. "I liked the drums though, required less musical theory. At least to me. You just tap around for a bit and listen to what works best. And then you keep repeating it, adding more stuff until you've got something."

"That's really cool."

Josh laughed it off, "Not really, but thanks."

"No really, it's more than I could do, and Tyler's shoved basically every instrument into my hands at least once, so at least you've got some musical bones in you. I'll stick to words."

"Words can be music." And Josh felt pretentious saying it, but he was just trying his best.

"I know." She said it as if she knew something he didn't. "I've got a terrible voice, mind you.'  
 

"Oh, same." Josh laughed with her.

"Tyler's the lucky one."

"He's got a good voice?" Josh could see that. He seemed like the type.

"Oh yeah, it's amazing." And Jenna sounded every part a typical doting girlfriend, but the look on her face was different than Josh was used to. It made him a part envious of Tyler, to be held in such respects. "I hope you'll be able to hear it one day."

Josh looked up as he heard a clash of chords from somewhere in the shop. "I look forward to it."

There was a hum of agreement from Jenna before they both fell silent.

"So, uh. How's work? I overheard, on the phone." It was a stupid topic of conversation to bring up, especially since it was something that had brought her to tears, but it was the only thing he could think of so it just kind of fell out of his mouth. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry you had to see that by the way. I'm feeling much better." She said with a sigh. "My boss is just an ass. He overworks me and gives me stupid hours. And he treats me as if I know nothing but makes me do everything."  
  
"That sounds frustrating."

His comment seemed to be the key that unlocked the anger that had been simmering on the surface. "Oh it is. Every time I'm stocking or something, he comes up and explains what I'm doing, as if I have no idea. As if I'm not doing it right in front of him."

Josh gently bumped her shoulder and hoped it wasn't too far. "That's a terrible move on his part. You sound perfectly capable, and it's stupid of him to keep explaining what you know."  
  
"I know." She exclaimed, annoyed at the idea of her boss but smiling at Josh's words. At least he was doing something, he wasn't the best with comforting strangers, not that Jenna needed comforting. "He's so frustrating. And I end up doing half his work anyway, since he's either too lazy or incompetent to do it in the first place. Most of the staff just refer to me or Tom anyway. He's terrible."

"It sounds like you've got a handle on it at least. Still sucks that you have to deal with that when you're working." Josh moved a bit to the left, closer to Jenna, as someone reached for a book past his head. He returned the man's 'pardon' with an apology as he  pressed against Jenna's side. "Is that why you were upset? The other week?"

Jenna sighed and settled against Josh's shoulder with a familiarity that surprised him for someone he just met. "Yeah, he went off in front of me in front off the entire staff. Tom was there and brought it down, but I just felt humiliated and angry, y'know. Like how dare he? When I practically do his job for him since he doesn't do it himself, and then he has the gall to have a go at me for it in front of the whole staff."

"He's just a bully."

Jenna laughed. "Tyler says the same thing."

"That's because we're right." Came Tyler's voice from behind them, perfect timing as always. Either th or he was listening in on them.

They both turned at the same, inspecting the shelf that had been behind their backs. Between a shelf was a grin, poking through the gap of a couple books on both sides of the bookcase.

  
"How long have you been listening in?" Jenna asked as she moved more books, revealing Tyler's face.

Josh couldn't see him do it, but he assumed Tyler shrugged. It fit with the type of grin on his face and the reply he gave. "Not that long. Promise."

The three of them met halfway, both walking towards the end of the aisle to meet at the head of the shelf. Tyler with an instrument in his hand in his hand that Josh couldn't identify and Jenna still holding onto the primary level music book.

"What's that?" Josh asked, nodding at the wooden plate.

He showed it off with a little shake, holding it up to eye level. "Kalimba. It's pretty cool."

Jenna took it from his hands, inspecting the metal prongs before playing around with it. Her question was accompanied with little pinging noises that reminded Josh of his old school games. "Weren't you looking at pianos today?"

"I mean, that is a piano, technically. Some people call it a thumb piano. Plus its on sale and sounds cool." It was a pretty useless reason to buy something, but Josh reasoned not everyone had the same shopping guidelines and ideals as him. "It's pretty cute."

Jenna hummed in agreement as she plucked away at it, innocently and completely out of rhythm. "Did you have fun?"

"Playing around with the instruments?" Tyler asked, carrying on when Jenna hummed again. "Yeah, always. How about you two?"

"Yeah." Josh said, noncommittal as Jenna handed back the instrument, finally filling her curiosity.

"As much fun as we can standing around in a music shop."

Tyler kissed the side of her hair in apology. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," she said with a smile, "We just gossiped about you. And Josh taught me some music. He's a better teacher than you."

She waved the book in his face and Tyler pushed it away with dramatic offence on his face. "Take that back."

He turned to Josh with interest in his eyes, "You enjoy music?"

"A bit." Josh said with a shrug, he definitely didn't know as much as Tyler apparently hoped for. "I only explained the basics, and even then, barely."

"Nonsense, Jen's terrible at music, don't sell yourself short if she's praising you about it." Tyler ignored the nudge he got from Jenna.

"It's nothing really, thank you though." Josh continued, answering Tyler's unasked question that was hanging in the air. "I played some percussion in high school, so I know the smallest bit of musical theory. Really, it's nothing impressive."

"If you say so," Tyler said, Jenna making a sound of agreement with him. "But if you ever want to play a bit again, you're always welcome. "

"He's got the equivalent of a whole recording studio in his basement, to be honest. I didn't even know that many instruments existed. It's like garage band in real life."

He laughed with Jenna as Tyler tried to defend himself. Josh wondered how he could even afford anything more than one instrument, but he didn't feel like asking.

It was for the best really, the good mood continuing as Jenna took his and Tyler's hands to drag them to the front, book tucked under her arm. "C'mon, we have a dress to get, so lets go get the little piano and get out of here."


End file.
